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CNY Migration

Pronounced: chūn yùn

Literally: spring move

Means: the Chinese New Year travel season

Although the 2010 CNY season has passed, it remains an important reflection
of changing times in China. With tens of millions of migrant workers in
China, the opportunity to travel home and see family comes only once per
year. For some moms and dads, it is the only time they see their children,
so the time off and the travel are inestimably important.

The traditional holiday sets in motion an overload to the travel systems,
particularly trains, the most common form of transportation, although
the government adds more departures to manage the overload. This
time of year has been called the “largest human migration on earth” with
an estimated 2.5 billion journeys this year. The highest percentage
of these travelers used the train system, which saw an estimated 210
million travelers. This year’s holiday travel rush had approximately
a 9.5 % rise in train traffic. There was also a new train ticket verification
system was implemented in 37 train stations, to prevent ticket scalping
which often sell tickets for twice the regular price or higher. The
train system is strained by the task and the crowding is the norm as
many migrant workers inland provinces return to their homes to visit
families. According to He Jianzhon, a spokesperson with
the Ministry of Transport, passengers also make an estimated 2.2 billion
journeys by bus and about 29million passengers travel by plane, which
is a also an increase year on year. The travel season, is an annual
test on China's transportation systems

There is a recent release of a documentary film called “The Last
Train Home” that brings this annual event into sharp focus. It
follows the lives of one family caught up in this migration, which represents
a clash of ancient and modern worlds. You can click “http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2010/01/21/lixian-fans-last-train-home/ and
see the film’s trailer. It has won the Families
will sometimes wait in line for days to secure a train ticket
home. The film gives a gripping account of the impact of being a migrant
family and the sacrifices and unexpected consequences of those sacrifices.